Business Reimagined with Danny Iny | The Mirasee Podcast

What do values have to do with your business? Isn’t business just about making money? Danny Iny, CEO and founder of Mirasee and author of Teach and Grow Rich: Share Your Knowledge to Create Global Impact, Freedom and Wealth, shares his reflections on how values can enrich an entrepreneur’s life as well as become a core competitive advantage. In this episode of Business Reimagined, you’ll discover: What business is really about (hint: it’s not just about money) The key indicator that sets apart great online courses (and other products) from mediocre ones How technology has made it virtually impossible to conduct business without ethics and transparency A simple barometer to determine, at any given time, whether you’re conducting business with integrity Why online course creators have the exciting opportunity to empower people, not as a cause that’s tacked onto their business, but as its core effect Listen to this episode to discern what it means—and what it takes—to build a business that’s aligned with your values: Key Points:  01:30 - The opportunity for many to experience the magical convergence of making an impact in the lives of people and doing so profitably 03:46 - The true meaning of growing “rich” 06:38 - Game theory and how it relates to conducting an ethical business 10:56 - Danny’s his definition of business 13:55 - The exciting opportunity for online course creators 14:13 - Consequences for online course creators who don’t really care about their students’ outcomes 17:04 - How Danny lets his values guide his business behavior 19:38 - An example of how ethical behavior pays off in unexpected ways 25:42 - Danny’s advice to entrepreneurs who want to build businesses in alignment with their values

Danny Iny, Mirasee’s founder and CEO, takes a break from writing the revised edition of his book, Teach and Grow Rich, to reflect on where online education is heading and how independent online course creators can start capturing their markets today, while the industry is wide open. Key Points: At 1:07 - How the world of online business is growing up At 6:42 - Why online education is like podcasting At 10:35 - How most of today’s online courses are failing (and why that spells opportunity for those who know better) At 14:25 - What makes for a good educational experience At 16:19 - Why the best way to create an online course is to go… analog At 18:27 - Why marketing matters when you first launch your course but becomes less important over time At 25:14 - Exciting opportunities emerging through technology, and why you shouldn’t focus on them when you’re just getting started At 27:10 - Danny’s advice for aspiring course creators

The world has been reeling after the outcome of the US elections in November 2016. Even online entrepreneurs have seen the effects: post-election product launch results have ranged “ from disappointing to disastrous.” Yet Danny Iny, CEO and founder of Mirasee, is optimistic that things are getting better. Why is that? In today’s episode, he talks about the changes he’s seeing in the world of online business, and how entrepreneurs can ride on these trends—including those who are just starting out. Listen if you want to keep your ear to the ground and be ready for what’s coming. Also: The two biggest shifts in online business that have begun to take place and will continue to have an impact on how we do business and what results we get What’s happening in the great information-education divide Why 2017 is the best time to get started with creating and selling online courses, for those who haven’t done so yet How small players can succeed, even if they don’t have the expertise, marketing savvy, technical ability, or money Key Points:  At 4:02 - What types of businesses will do better, amidst all the uncertainty At 9:10 -  The biggest post-election risk for entrepreneurs At 11:46 -  How strategies and platforms go through cycles, and what’s coming up next for last year’s favorites At 16:30 - How being value-driven is transitioning from a differentiating factor into a hygiene factor At 21:36 - The challenge of scaling up online education At 23:55 - Different ways online marketing is maturing and what they mean for solo- and small businesses At 28:30 - Changes that are already happening in paid media that can be an obstacle to businesses that don’t have massive advertising budgets At 31:06 - What the warm pyramid of traffic is and why it will experience a resurgence in 2017 and beyond At 34:08 - How solo businesses are “growing up” At 36:58 - How online product launches are transitioning from formulaic approaches to something more adaptive and resonant with audiences At 41:43 - The two things that remain constant in business (that are not death and taxes)

Business owners want the competitive advantage. All too often, they resort to less-than-moral tactics to get there. But according to Yanik Silver, times are changing. People like you, who want to do good in the world and prosper from it, are about to eclipse those who just want the money.  How is this possible? In today’s episode, Yanik Silver talks about how aligning the ‘true soul’ of your business will not only help you stay motivated, but will also give you a competitive advantage with the shifting mentality of consumers. Also:  How Yanik turned a $400,000 loss into a wildly successful business by finding his own alignment How to properly choose a mission, message, and cause, and avoid the same embarrassment that KFC faced when selling fried chicken to support breast cancer research How to tie in your life’s work to your business model, and to do so without feeling bad about it. If you are ready to join the forward-thinking entrepreneurs who are making real change in the future of business, and doing so in a way that enriches everyone, then you don’t want to miss this episode with Yanik Silver.  KEY POINTS:  At 4:00 – Yanik talks about how he went from being nearly half a million dollars in debt to running a business that wasn’t just in line with his core beliefs, but also was highly successful. At 6:00 – Danny and Yanik discuss how he made the new business sustainable as a membership model. At 10:30 – Yanik explains exactly what an ‘evolved enterprise’ is, and why this type of company will have the competitive advantage in years to come. At 13:00 – Yanik and Danny discuss how companies without a core mission are either going to evolve or fail. They talk about KFC’s doomed foray into the new landscape.  At 20:00 – Danny and Yanik talk about his new book, who it’s for, and what they can expect to get out of it that will usher in a new age of evolved enterprises.

You can learn every single tactic and strategy taught by every single authority in your space, whether it’s online entrepreneurship, parenting, or even underwater basket-weaving. But if you don’t have ‘right thinking’ mastered, you probably won’t be able to execute on a single one of them. In fact, the deck has been stacked against you from birth.  Are you doomed to failure?  Not at all! Today’s guest, David Bayer, has dedicated his life to the science behind right thinking. Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly attaching information to every experience you have. You can’t always control the experiences, but you CAN control the information you attach to them. Discover:  How to reframe your past experiences to free yourself to be successful today How science and research directly support how your beliefs affect your results Why a little self-help won’t work; you have to be ALL IN  If you’ve spent countless hours learning and growing mentally but still haven’t achieved the level of success you want, then you need to listen to this episode. It will change the way you think, literally.  Key Points:  At 2:00 – David explains how finding a book at an airport, along with working a 12 step program for his drug and alcohol abuse, sparked his desire to solve the problem every entrepreneur faces.  At 4:00 – There’s a science behind the stories you tell yourself and the beliefs you have, and David explains how re-framing can change the way you experience life. Especially the beliefs you don’t realize you have.  At 14:00 – David explains why you can’t just ‘dabble’ in self-improvement, and telling yourself to ‘just believe,’ isn’t enough. He talks about what it really takes to make right thinking work for you.  At 18:00 – David explains reframing, and how people are not even close to working at full capacity, all because of the stories they tell themselves.  At 23:00 – Danny and David discuss ‘The Secret,’ and why it failed to work for so many people. He provides real, actionable advice that goes beyond wanting a million dollars or a new house.

In terms of performance, did you know that you have a ‘genetic bucket?’ Everyone does, and we don’t get to choose how much they hold. Some are bigger than others, and you can have a huge effect on the size of your children’s genetic bucket, by virtue of the life YOU live.  So what’s a genetic bucket?  According to Dr. Isaac Jones, your genetic bucket is how much toxicity you can hold in your body. Once the bucket overflows, you begin to feel tired and distracted. You have headaches and pain in your body. In short, an overflowing bucket can lead to poor performance.  In this episode, discover why you shouldn’t pass tiredness and headaches off as a hazard of being a busy entrepreneur. Also:  Isaac reveals his own painful past and the transition from special education student to the top of his class and nearly qualifying for the Olympics. Find out what the dirty dozen and clean fifteen are, and how you can eat better, even on a budget. Combat environmental toxins and cleanse your body through natural means, in spite of a broken healthcare system. Get clear, easy-to-understand steps and explanations of how to improve your performance.  Yes, entrepreneurs and professions lead demanding lives, but that doesn’t mean you have to feel horrible while doing it. Don’t miss this episode with Dr. Isaac Jones; his passion for the performance will leave you feeling inspired.  KEY POINTS:  At 1:30 – Find out the soul-crushing label doctors gave a young Isaac that almost kept him from being the success he is today.  At 3:40 – Isaac gets to the heart of what causes poor performance in the human body, and what causes it. If you’re thinking of buying a new computer, you’ll want to hear this.  At 10:00 – Isaac gives some practical, easy to implement steps for busy entrepreneurs that can help mitigate the toxins all around them, and inside their bodies.  At 12:00 – Danny and Isaac discuss the concept of the ‘genetic bucket,’ and the lifestyles many adults are living and teaching their children.  At 21:00 – Isaac take a little extra time to explain in simple terms what micronutrients are, as well as easy ways to increase your own intake to help your performance soar.

When the world slams a door in your face, do you give up, or do you build your OWN door? Today’s guest, Louie La Vella, is a carpenter-type entrepreneur. Every time a door closed for him, he built another. He’s spent a lifetime in the entertainment industry, and now focuses on creating amazing events that give a one-of-a-kind experience.  What’s holding YOU back from putting on an event, or being a rockstar speaker at someone else’s event? Discover:  How Louie broke into radio and television after he was turned down What makes an event successful in a competitive market What to do when your potential clients don’t want your help but desperately need it  If you’re tired of doors being slammed in your face as an entrepreneur, you don’t want to miss this episode. Build your own doors and craft amazing experiences. KEY POINTS:  At 3:00 – Louie talks about being rejected by his ideal clients, and pivoting to even greater success.  At 5:00 – Danny and Louie talk about event success in terms of crafting experience, and why it matters in a competitive environment.  At 9:00 – Louie explains how a rebrand works for an older or unpopular event, and the steps to take to bring it back to life.  At 12:00 – Louie addresses how to be a compelling presenter at other people’s events.  At 16:00 – Louie wraps up with his philosophy on entrepreneurship and how it’s made him an incredible success.

When you think of the term strategic philanthropy, one company comes to mind: Tom’s Shoes. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of them. For every pair of shoes someone buys from them, they send another pair to a developing country. That strategy, do good to make money, has made them incredibly successful. Today’s guest is , and in this episode, he explains exactly what strategic philanthropy is, how your customers will thank you for raising prices, and a simple formula any company, from start up to corporation, can use to do good and make more money – ethically. At 3:00 – Tom describes the difference between a small business owner and an entrepreneur. At 8:00 – It was a poor review from a customer Tom helped to increase her sales by 50% that finally made him realize that he wasn’t truly meeting all of his clients’ needs. At 12:00 – Tom dives into what strategic philanthropy is, and how to pick a great cause to support that makes sense for you and your customer. At 20:00 – Tom describes the formula any company can use to do good and make more money in an ethical and sustainable way. At 26:00 – Tom shares his vision of how it’s up to business to save the world, not government. At 33:00 – Tom explains how a company can use a simple formula to ensure they are sustainable as they work toward their good cause. Find and Define Your Nich

In most of business history, customer service was viewed as a necessary evil that didn’t have a lot of repercussions if it was done poorly, or not at all. Realistically, how many people could a single person tell about their experience with you? Oh, how times have changed. In the world of the internet, customer service has become a spectator sport, according to today’s guest, Jay Baer, author of Hug Your Haters. All your interactions are playing out on the social media stage, and this can work for you or against you. And if you take advantage of it, the good it can do will scale so much that your happy customers will do your marketing FOR you. Learn how marketing and customer service are being disrupted in the say way, and what to do about it. The surprising place to adjust your budget for social media presence, even as a small business. How catering to your most annoying customers pays off. Whether or not ‘the customer is always right’ is the truth, and the power of over-informing. Key Points: At 2:00 – Jay explains how customer service is being disrupted in the same way marketing has been, and the ways entrepreneurs have had to change their thinking about it. He also discusses the practicality of small businesses entering the social media stage. At 9:00 – Jay breaks down the numbers when it comes to customer complaints going unanswered, and where the majority of those complaints are found. It’s a huge missed opportunity for businesses. At 12:00 – There are always customers who are unreasonable, and Jay gets to the heart of the message in his book that explains how to deal with customers like that, and whether it’s worth your time or not. At 19:00 – Jay talks about the concept of ‘strategic ignorance,’ how it hurts businesses, and when it’s okay not to respond to customers. There’s also a surprising place you can adjust your budget to take on the complaints you should be addressing. At 26:00 – There’s an often-missed psychological impact on the people who answer customer complaints, especially when it’s the business owner. Jay talks about how to deal with it, and his vision for customer service in the future.

Whale vomit is gross. But being unique, relevant, and scarce isn’t. In fact, to maximize profits, those are the three things you need. How do whale vomit and business tie together? Today’s guest, Kevin Dubrosky, reveals the secret behind success in business, and the key is to be like whale vomit: unique, relevant, and scarce.  If you want to know why ‘whale vomit,’ you’ll just have to hear Kevin’s story. Discover: Why the richest of the rich douse themselves with whale vomit The 3 step verification that will measure your success potential How Blackberry could have taken Apple down but didn’t Keen insights on positioning your business, based on real life examples If you want to learn how to be like whale vomit… or rather, to be unique, relevant, and scarce, then you don’t want to miss this episode. KEY POINTS: At 6:00 – Kevin reveals the story of how whale vomit inspired his new book.  At 11:00 – Kevin explains how to find your uniqueness, or create it, based on 2 key factors: experience and offer.  At 13:30 – Dominoes has cornered the 30 minutes or less market; Kevin talks about why that works for them, regardless of the quality of their pizza.  At 16:30 – Kevin shares the story of how he tried to help Blackberry before their downward spiral, and the fatal mistake they made that could have been avoided.  At 20:00 – Danny and Kevin discuss the ridiculous price of his first edition book, and how you can get the 2nd version for much less, to help YOU become whale vomit.